Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Pasta Di Giorgio

I will admit that although I had the best of intentions, I never had dinner at Grato (the resto at the corner of Monarch Park and Danforth) so when it closed, I felt a pang of guilt for not supporting a local business. When Casa Di Giorgio opened in its place I rejoiced, but again, for months I said I was going to check it out but didn't.

I finally had the chance to have a cozy dinner there a few weekends ago and I was pleasantly surprised. I had never tried their flagship location in the Beach, but many people have said that their pizza is excellent so I was enthusiastic to try it.

I ordered my usual favourite, Penne Arrabiatta, and it was divine. I've searched the city for a great version of this dish and this was by far one of the best I've had. Marcello's at St. Clair and Bathurst is a close tie for first. My dining partner ordered a linguine with chicken which was also exceptional.

Relish and Ten Feet Tall have, up until now, been the go-to spots in the hood for "date night" dining but I think that Casa Di Giorgio can be added to this list. I for one, am just really happy that there is another great Italian restaurant near by***.

***As a caveat: I've never tried Quattro Reggaze but Chowhounders out there love it!